For those of you applying to graduate school, it is interview season. Here are a few FAQs and answers to help you prepare.
1. What is the purpose of the graduate school interview?
Put simply, the purpose of the graduate school interview is to get a sense of you as a person and to see how you might “fit” with the program, its faculty, students and staff. Graduate school can be a stressful and sometimes challenging experience, so faculty are looking for applicants who can manage the challenges and succeed in their program.
2. What should I expect during an interview?
Most programs invite you to visit the campus, usually for a weekend, and plan for you to attend and participate in many events:
- A group social where you meet students, faculty and staff.
- A tour of labs, buildings or the campus.
- A poster session, during which current students demonstrate the work they are doing.
At the core of the visit, however, are the interviews. You most likely will meet with many faculty members, either individually or in a group setting. If during the application process you were asked to identify particular faculty you would want to study or study with, you most likely will spend time with them and talk about their research and training style.
3. This sounds very stressful. How do I prepare for an interview?
No need to be nervous; you have been invited for an interview because the faculty already views you as a strong candidate, so the interview is not a time when you have to prove yourself. We suggest that instead you take the “Triple I Approach.” Come into the interview informed, interested and inquisitive.
Being informed is about knowing the faculty and their research as well as knowing something about the basic program requirements. What distinguishes the program? What does it offer that is distinctive and of particular interest to you? Think carefully about what made you apply to this program and why you thought it would be a good fit for your career aspirations.
Being interested is easy. You are interested or you would not be taking the time to attend the interview or to have applied in the first place. No need to say anything that isn’t true, but if you are genuinely interested, it wouldn’t hurt to say, “I would love to have the opportunity to do my graduate work here, and I really hope it works out.”
And as for inquisitive, nothing signals interest more than asking questions. During the interview you will have a chance to ask questions, so it is a good idea to have a set of questions prepared. Good questions ask about:
- Courses and training requirements.
- Student success.
- Funding and financial aid options.
- What student life is like.
If you are asked to participate in a video interview instead of a campus visit, you should prepare the same way. Remember, one of the ultimate goals of interviews is to determine goodness-of-fit for both you and the program.
4. What happens after the interview?
When you finally arrive back home you can take a sigh of relief. You’ve made it through the first part of the interview. Now you have to follow up with the program and do some important thinking and evaluation.
It is always important to say thank you and take the time to express your continued interest in the program. To write a solid thank you letter or email, you need to consider what you learned, how you feel and whether or not there is any other information you still need about the program. If you find you still have one or two simple questions, feel free to ask them in your thank you note. If you did a video interview, asking to speak with a current student is a good idea so you can get a student perspective of the program and if it is a good fit for you.
5. You keep mentioning goodness of fit. What is it and what should I be looking for?
Look for what matters to you. Are the facilities and support in place that you would need to be successful in the program? What are the faculty-student relationships like and how would you describe the program atmosphere? How about the current students (or other interviewees): Do they seem like people you would like and be able to work with productively? Look at the campus, at the community and at the lifestyles of current graduate students. Do all these features feel comfortable to you and could you see yourself as being happy and productive in this context? Remember, your goal is not to get into graduate school; it is to get through graduate school. So, be sure to evaluate how this program can help prepare you for the next chapter of your life.
About the Authors
Greg J. Neimeyer, PhD, is professor of psychology in the department of psychology at the University of Florida, where he teaches the doctoral course on psychodiagnosis (DSM-5 and ICD) and has served as both director of clinical training and as graduate coordinator. An APA fellow, he is also a recipient of its Award for Outstanding Contributions to Career and Personality Research. Neimeyer has published more than 200 articles and 10 books, with an emphasis on professional training and development. A former chair of the executive board of the Council of Counseling Psychologists in the United States, Neimeyer has also been elected as a fellow to the Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars. He was invited by the American Psychiatric Association to attend its recent convention in San Francisco and to complete its DSM-5 train-the-trainers institute. At the institute, he also attended DSM-5 work group meetings on the nature and rationale underlying the most recent revisions of the manual. Neimeyer divides his time between the University of Florida and Washington, D.C., where he directs APA’s Office of Continuing Education in Psychology.
Garth A. Fowler, PhD, is the associate executive director of education and director of the Office of Graduate and Postgraduate Education and Training at APA. He has a BA in psychology from the College of Wooster and a PhD in behavioral neuroscience from the department of psychology at the University of Washington (Seattle). Fowler has more than 10 years’ experience advising students, especially with respect to career and graduate training.